The key to protecting coral reefs or any ocean habitat is effective management, but you can't have effective management without good data that cover large areas. Oftentimes, your funding or the technology, or both will limit the monitoring program you need to develop the management strategy that you need to protect the Ocean.

Coral habitats are no different. There are many threats against corals and management will be key to their protection; however, the technology that is needed to determine the health of coral reefs is either non-existent or super expensive...until now. Arizona State University's Asner Lab used a  new imaging technology that was able to determine between live and dead corals during a monitoring program that covered the eight major Hawaiian islands.

A regular program to detect live and dead coral can help managers pinpoint areas that are in need of management compared to others that are doing better (higher percentage of coral cover). 

The big question is can we fund this program long-term.

Link to article: https://news.mongabay.com/2021/01/a-hi-tech-eye-in-the-sky-lays-bare-hawai%ca%bbis-living-coral-reefs/

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